First Week in July
On July 4, 1939, the New York Yankees retired the uniform No. 4 of future Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig in memorable and emotional ceremonies at Yankee Stadium. For over 40 minutes, current and former Yankee greats, including Hall of Famer Babe Ruth, paraded onto the field to honor the "Iron Horse," who wore the cap pictured here. Other former Yankees greats, such as pitcher Waite Hoyt, second baseman Tony Lazzeri and outfielder Bob Meusel, also attended. Yankees manager Joe McCarthy presented Gehrig with a special silver trophy. Gehrig, in one of the most famous speeches in baseball history, told the 61,808 in attendance at the Stadium, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Gehrig, who was stricken with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, would succumb to the muscular disease in 1941.

Hear a newsreel description and farewell speech of the Lou Gehrig tribute day, July 4, 1939.